


Cipher's Hunt

by yeysal



Category: Gravity Falls
Genre: Alternate Timeline, Alternate Universe, Author Dipper Pines, Bill and Dipper get a little roughed up, Horror, Human Bill Cipher, Hunter Bill Cipher, M/M, Mystery, Psychological Trauma, Romance, Thriller, Tragic Romance, Violence, and not in a good way, at least there's fluff?, set in the 1950's
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-11-29
Updated: 2015-12-01
Packaged: 2018-05-04 02:44:57
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 19,288
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5317526
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/yeysal/pseuds/yeysal
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Dipper Pines is a world famous author on worldwide paranormal anomalies. While living in a shack in the woods with his ‘housemate,’ Bill, a well-known local hunter in Gravity Falls, he tries to use the quiet serenity to dream up his next novel. </p><p>But when Bill goes missing in the woods during a hunt one morning, Dipper is going to confront the ugly truth lurking in the woods that threatens to tear his world apart.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Cipher's Hunt

**Author's Note:**

> I'm trying out something new with my writing. So have some creepy, unsettling things of nightmares. 
> 
> This is a horror story. So be warned of squickable things.

_Fall 1956_

The pen in his hand was feeling heavier the more he held it. Dipper Pines cleared his throat and the sound of it reverberated through the quiet kitchen. He stared down at the paper in front of him and willed the words to flow through the pen.

No such luck.

Begrudgingly he set the pen down and sat back in his chair, the creak of the wood sounded off his desire to relax and do nothing. He looked over at the record player in the corner of the living room fifteen feet away and considered playing some soft jazz to put a little more energy in the room. He figured maybe it would help.

Then the sound of a gun firing off from deep into the woods made him reconsider. He sighed and stood from the chair. He knew he wouldn’t get any writing done now.

Hunting season started the day before and the young author was surprised it took this long for him to hear a shot fired from within those woods. The town of Gravity Falls was certainly a better spot for campers than for hunters but every season or two, a handful of them would be peppered throughout the hunting properties around the region.

Bill was one of them and Dipper knew his shot better than anyone. He, unlike most of the hunters in Gravity Falls, hunted as if he were born for it. It was rare that he ever used more than one bullet in a single hunt. Soon, Bill would be returning with a freshly killed animal carcass and Dipper wouldn’t see the man for most of the day while the hunter skinned and gutted it.

Dipper preferred not to think about _that_ process. At least Bill had a special shed where he did the dirty work. The author surprised himself at how little he minded the hunter’s profession and way of life.

After all, Dipper was always fascinated by the unusual and Bill surprised him at every turn. He was unlike anyone Dipper had ever met in his life and Dipper had met _a lot_ of people after travelling the world for his ventures in paranormal studies. Bill was different…he had a particular aura that was difficult to ignore and it sparked a curiosity that Dipper compared to that of a cat seeing something brand new.

Dipper always entertained his curiosities.

It started out simple enough:

Dipper had returned from overseas after a particularly large book signing for his latest fictional novel on paranormal hotspots and his publishers, content and satisfied with their newest cash cow, requested that the young author be up and ready with a new novel within three years time. They even gave him a very nice advance with the promise that more would come when he turned in the first draft.

Dipper happily accepted and set forth to his brainstorm. After a month, he thought that the inspiration would never come and it was difficult to focus on his work with the bustling city life beneath him. So the young author packed his bags and headed up north to the woods of Oregon where he found a cheap hotel in the small town of Gravity Falls.

The silence made his inspiration hit him like a flood and when the author decided to make his stay semi-permanent he hunted for a small house to rent until he wore his welcome. The process wasn’t easy and in fact, the lessor came to _him_ in the form of Bill, the famous and coveted hunter of Gravity Falls.

Dipper found out that the hunter was a treasure to the small town since he provided everything he killed to the local butcher and in doing so, kept the town fed without the locals having to spend so much of their tax dollars on imported meats. He lived just outside of the town in the woods and when he reached out to Dipper via telegram, the young author was a little hesitant to take up residence with someone who killed things for a living.

In the end, Dipper was quite surprised at how genuinely kind the man was upon meeting him. He was dark-haired, tan-skinned gentlemen and he looked so starkly different from the pale people of town that Dipper knew he couldn’t have been related to anyone.

As if he had read the author’s mind, Bill explained that he was descended from the Molalla natives of the area and though most of his family had left for greener pastures, Bill couldn’t bear to depart from his roots. In exchange for buying out his family’s land, the new landowner offered him the shack at a ten percent discount as well as being the only hunter with permission to hunt during open season.

Awkward at first, Bill was soon nothing but smiles and the occasional joke at Dipper’s expense. In no time at all they became friends. When Bill explained that he was offering the spare bedroom in the shack since the hunting season had been relatively slow and as such, he needed assistance in paying the hefty mortgage to the landowner.

Taking this into consideration and upon inspecting the shack, Dipper realized that Bill’s offer was indeed a good one and the man was honest and trustworthy. Dipper happily accepted being a sub-lessee to Bill’s lease on the property. The hunter was more than pleased and with a shake of their hands, they became housemates.

Dipper was content with the setup at first but soon he felt that he and Bill’s interactions were becoming a fast distraction when the hunting season came to an end. The two were so compatible that Dipper found he spent more nights chatting with the hunter instead of writing. They mostly spoke of the town’s history and fables that Bill learned as a child. When Bill expressed his displeasure at the silly restrictions the government had placed on his land, Dipper would grit his teeth as he listened.

One day Dipper was furiously writing away in his notebook and Bill was sitting in the living room voicing his opinions on how corrupt the States were becoming. When Dipper loudly cleared his throat in the middle of Bill’s complaining, the hunter quickly took the hint and left the room. From then on, their evenings were spent in silence as Dipper continued to write.

The shift in their relationship came a few months later when they crossed each other in the hallway of the small house and Dipper watched Bill walk down to his bedroom in nothing but a towel around his waist. From that point, it was difficult for Dipper to even _exist_ in the same room with the hunter.

Dipper never liked fighting himself but with the current climate of the treatment of homosexuality in the States, the young author didn’t want to risk exposure. Plus he wasn’t even sure if the hunter had the same desires as him so it was easy enough to ignore. Don’t ask, don’t tell.

But soon Dipper couldn’t ignore Bill’s soft smiles, lingering gazes, and how those friendly pats on his shoulder lasted a little longer than they probably should have. Dipper wasn’t complaining, in fact, he followed suit and soon, the two were pretty much dancing around each other without the official declaration of feelings.

One particular evening the two were sharing a small silence in the living room in front of a fire. Dipper had his notebook sitting on his legs but he couldn’t focus on writing anything but a potential confession on his feelings to Bill. He furiously scratched out every attempt eventually throwing the book aside. Bill idly noticed the altercation between the author and his notebook.

Dipper stood and excused himself to go down the hallway to his bedroom. Instead of entering his bedroom however, he leaned against the wall and cursed himself for being such a coward about his feelings. With a disappointed sigh, he turned to head back into the living room and his eyes widened when Bill appeared around the threshold with the author in his sights.

Dipper backed away and uttered a soft apology as he went to maneuver around the other man but when Bill gently grabbed his arm and kept him from leaving, the author looked up and realized he was the object of Bill’s focused gaze.

Dipper memorized the amber color of Bill’s eyes that night. It was hard to ignore how much they _glowed_. In one swift movement, the hunter had Dipper gently pressed against the wall as he leaned in and kissed him softly. For once, the author didn’t feel the need to find the words. He reciprocated the gesture in kind and even though they could have had an entire conversation on their feelings that night, they only had it through actions and gentle touches.

And for a while, it was enough. They were both happy and content to be a little playful when behind closed doors but when the two would go into town together, Dipper always ducked away from Bill’s attempts at being close to him and made sure there was at least five feet between them. Bill never seemed too upset by it and for the time being, Dipper decided it wouldn’t be a problem until it presented itself as one.

The years passed quickly and when Dipper turned in his final draft of his new novel ahead of time, his publishers were absolutely giddy with excitement. Once the second half of his advance came, Dipper was able to put a few months of rent money in Bill’s pocket though his partner was more than pleased to cover his half of the rent now that he considered themselves an item. Dipper would have none of it and set the money aside in case of an emergency.

After the newest novel was published, Dipper opted to waive another worldwide book tour and his publishers advanced him for another novel to be completed in three years once more.

So here he was. Sitting in the kitchen with a blank piece of paper and absolutely no inspiration. Three years of writing and enjoying a blossoming relationship with a magnetic personality left him feeling a completeness that he hadn’t felt in years. Dipper sensed that in order for some inspiration to hit him again, he would have to have some kind of an adventure or learn something new.

He watched out the kitchen window as Bill pulled up in his truck an hour after the shot was fired. As the hunter maneuvered the truck around the back to his work shed, Dipper could see the covered body of what looked like a large buck in the bed of his truck.

That would keep the hunter happy for the next few weeks.

About three hours later, evening had fallen and the door to the back opened with a small creak. Dipper could hear Bill heading for the shower and after a few minutes, the hunter entered the kitchen in nothing but a towel around his waist and Dipper felt that drop in his stomach at the sight. He cleared his throat, “Got a shot, I see.”

Bill grinned, his wet, dark hair clung to the back of neck, “It’s been a while since I’ve nabbed a buck that big,” he poured himself a glass of water and set a kettle on the stove, “The fucker weighed close to 250 pounds _before_ I skinned it! Thank the coyote that’ll pay the rent for the next year when I sell the meat to Gleeful tomorrow.” He ruffled Dipper’s hair as he sat down, “How’s your writing coming?”

Dipper showed him the blank piece of paper with a small sigh, “I don’t really want to talk about it,” he took his glasses off and sat back in his chair, “I got the advance check from the publishers today so rent shouldn’t be a problem for the next year at least.”

Bill waved his hand as he took a sip of his water, “Don’t worry about rent,” he stood up and walked around to the back of Dipper’s chair and kissed the back of the author’s head, “I can cover it. And besides, you have that nice little emergency fund going.” His hands trailed to the sides of Dipper’s neck as he lightly massaged the tense muscles there. “Geez, you’re tense…” he rubbed Dipper’s neck a little harder and kissed the top of his ear.

Dipper quickly glanced over at the windows and flinched away from Bill’s touch, “Bill…come on,” he blushed as he hid his eyes, “You know we can’t…”

Bill tensed as he moved away from Dipper to tend to the whistling kettle on the stove, “Sorry,” he sighed, “I didn’t think the woodland creatures were on the list of homophobic asses we had to avoid.” He took out two mugs and placed them on the counter.

Dipper whined, “Bill you know what I mean…” he stood up and moved the curtains to cover the windows, “After that article came out of the two of us in town together…”

Bill groaned, “It was an article about your novel and I just so happened to be behind you when the picture was taken. It was hardly revealing! Besides it was for the town paper anyway…it’s not like you’ll have crowds flocking to read that piece of junk.”

Dipper shook his head as he sat back down, “If it was nothing they wouldn’t have included your name and occupation in the tagline of the article…they must suspect something.”

“You’re overthinking it,” Bill brought over the two mugs of tea, “And even if they do they would be right. I don’t see what’s so wrong about it. It would be a lie to say I don’t mind being your little secret. Especially after three years.”

Dipper frowned, “You’re not my secret…”

“Your sister knowing about us doesn’t count because you can’t lie to her to save your life.”

“Bill this is serious. People can’t know about us for a while…I’m still extremely dependent on my novels being bestsellers for income. If the general public finds out about us then I can say goodbye to that salary…”

Bill nodded, “I understand. It must be nice to be able to hide yourself from the world. If my family could have done that maybe they wouldn’t have been forced to leave their homeland to survive.”

Dipper closed his eyes as guilt punched him in the gut and he leaned forward with a heavy sigh, “I’m sorry, Bill. I’m sorry…”

Bill reached over to rub Dipper’s shoulder reassuringly, “It’s okay. I understand why you feel like you need to hide…but I wish I could walk a little closer to you in town at least.”

Dipper leaned into the touch and put his hand on top of Bill’s, “One day…I promise…”

Bill stared at Dipper for a moment, “Hey…baby steps are better than nothing. Maybe we could touch shoulders in public tomorrow?” He chuckled.

Dipper didn’t think it was funny. He shrugged Bill’s hand off and grabbed his pen anxiously, “Bill, come on…it’s not the same for you if the world knows…”

“You know why it’s not the same for me? Because I have guns and I know how to use them. Do you really think they would give me trouble?”

Dipper shook his head, “I’m not worried about physical altercations I’m worried about losing my job!”

Bill sighed, “I can’t ask you to abandon your job but it seems clear to me that you should at least reconsider your publishers if you’re that afraid to admit that…” he paused as he realized he was getting a little ahead of himself, “If you’re afraid to admit that you’re in a relationship with someone of the same gender.”

Dipper looked over at him, “I don’t know…I just…need time to think about this…”

Bill narrowed his eyes, “Think about _what_ exactly? Me?”

Dipper didn’t notice Bill’s scrutinizing gaze, “No! About my job…this novel isn’t coming as easily as I thought so…maybe I _should_ reconsider.” Dipper paused as he glanced at Bill, “Hey…your hair is getting longer.”

“You don’t like it?” Bill rubbed the back of his neck where his hair was starting to dry.

Dipper shook his head, “It’s not that. It looks good like this.” He reached over and grabbed a stray piece, “I like it.” He tucked the stray piece behind Bill’s ear with a small smile.

Bill hummed and tapped his fingers along his mug. After cracking his neck he stood up and walked over to the sink to dump the rest of his tea, “It was a long day. And I have to be up early for tomorrow’s hunt. They say a fog might roll in so it might be a short day out there.” He walked over to Dipper’s chair and carded his fingers through Dipper’s brown locks, “Will you be in here much longer?”

Dipper leaned into the familiar touch, “Not sure…staring at this paper is starting to frustrate me.”

Bill leaned close to Dipper’s ear, “Then come to bed with me.”

Dipper shuddered and glanced uneasily towards the curtained windows, “Uh…”

Bill flinched at Dipper’s tension and sighed disappointedly. He pressed a gentle kiss to the crown of Dipper’s head, “You know where I’ll be.”

Dipper felt a pang of guilt as Bill’s hand slowly slid out from his hair as the hunter walked away. The author hated himself for being so scared of being found out. He stared down at the paper and in a moment of clarity, he realized that Bill was right. He had nothing to fear. He had enough in the bank to get him by for the next ten years and even if the world turned against him he could at least say he had his sister and Bill by his side.

He would tear up that advance check, tell his publishers to shove it, and start a new venture.

It would be just what he needed. Dipper looked to the hallway where Bill had gone to their bedroom. The author knew he was being foolish. He threw the pen back down and stood from the table.

The door to their bedroom creaked open slowly as Dipper made his way in and his eyes rested on the sight of Bill on his back in the middle of the bed. The lamplight was still on, the soft yellow glow of the light allowed Dipper to see the sheets cover Bill’s bare body up to his hips and his arm was resting over his ribcage as the hunter was attempting to fall asleep.

Dipper grinned as he crawled over from the edge of the bed, silently cursing as the bed creaked loudly under his weight. Bill shifted with a small groan and the author muttered a quiet apology as placed light kisses on Bill’s stomach all the way up to his chest.

Bill hummed interestedly with a small smirk on his face, “Hey…you know the curtains are wide open…the woodland creatures might be watching…” he ran his hands through Dipper’s hair and pulled him down for a deep kiss when the other man was within reach, “Not that I’m complaining…”

“Don’t care right now,” Dipper removed his shirt and pants quickly as he joined Bill beneath the sheets. He paused, as he seemed to reconsider. “Well…” he looked out the window at the darkness of the woods, “You don’t mind if we turn the light off at least?” Bill’s eyes narrowed and Dipper smiled with a small shrug as he straddled Bill's hips, “Baby steps, right?”

Bill pursed his lips in thought before he gave a short nod, “Baby steps.” Before Dipper could switch the light off, Bill quickly flipped their positions and pressed his lips to Dipper’s with more passion than the author could hope to match with as much confidence, “But you’re at my mercy for it, love.”

Dipper, flushed with anticipation, nodded willingly and moaned as Bill rolled his bare hips against his and turned out the light.

Dipper’s fondest memories of he and Bill were many. So far, his favorite was the time they were both rained in at the small shack and spent the entire day having sex. Not all of it was too rough and they each had equal turns in changing positions but it was all in good fun and the author had to admit it was his favorite of many moments.

This topped it completely.

It nearly midnight when they tired themselves out and Bill was currently resting his head on Dipper’s chest sound asleep while Dipper lay staring at the ceiling in content bliss. He ran his hand through Bill’s dark hair and trailed his other hand over his arm that was wrapped loosely around his waist. Dipper reached down to press a kiss to the top of Bill’s head before he closed his eyes in an attempt to sleep.

* * *

Dipper felt gentle hands running over his hair and a kiss to his cheek as he was roused from a deep sleep. Before he could open his eyes he felt Bill’s lips near his ear, “I’ll see you soon, love.”

Dipper felt a few more kisses peppering his face before he reached out for Bill’s wrist, “Be safe,” he croaked out the words and Bill’s soft chuckle was the last thing he heard from him before the hunter left a few minutes later. The startup of the truck was loud in the silence of the property and when that sound faded into the distance, Dipper grabbed Bill’s pillow and held it close to preserve that warmth he loved so much.

The sky was much brighter when Dipper finally emerged from the bedroom. He walked out onto the porch and noted the overcast sky along with the first layer of fog perching over the treetops. Dipper wasn’t sure how much hunting Bill would be able to do once that fog officially settled. It gave him a small sense of relief because it meant that Bill would be home soon and after last night’s activities, he had to admit he was a little eager for another round or two.

But that could wait. Dipper headed back inside and decided to tackle the monster that was this potential new novel.

It was late in the afternoon and the author thought it strange that Bill hadn’t made it home yet. Even stranger was that the fog had been settled for more than an hour now and Dipper hadn’t heard a single shot. Fog or no, Bill should have certainly been home by now. It was becoming difficult to focus on his blank piece of paper. Dipper grabbed his coat and decided to wait on the porch with his eyes peeled for any sign of the hunter.

Night fell and still no sign of Bill. The fog had lifted but Dipper’s heart was racing as the silence of the woods pierced fear of the worst-case scenario into his chest. _‘Bill, please…come home,’_ he leaned forward as he fixed his gaze on the line of trees that outlined the forest, _‘Please…’_ Dipper stayed up all night without a wink of sleep.

When dawn came and Bill still had not walked across their porch, Dipper made his way into town to ask for help. In no time, search parties fanned out all over the forest and after three days, there was still no sign of Bill.

Hope and dread arrived on the fourth day when one party came back with Bill’s backpack and rifle bag.

Dipper watched in horror as they placed it on the porch and emptied the rifle’s contents. The sound of the bullets hitting the porch made Dipper’s heart fall into his stomach. Bill hadn’t even fired a single shot. His backpack looked freshly packed as if he never opened it since he left.

It was as if Bill had vanished off the face of the earth. Dipper felt a tremble of fear as the people of the town spread rumors about the loss of their hunter. The author refused to heed them but he still couldn’t be upfront of the real reason why he was so faithful about Bill still being alive.

The townsfolk, deft they may be, were fearful that Dipper was being driven to madness at the loss. In an effort to quell the author’s worry, they told him to leave the porch light on so that in case the hunter was wandering, the light would serve as a beacon to guide him home.

When one week passed since Bill’s disappearance, the search parties ceased their efforts and the town held a memorial for Bill. Dipper did not attend because he knew that Bill was still alive. He could feel it in his soul. The evening of the memorial, Dipper sat on the porch with the light on, still waiting for any sign of his partner.

The light of the porch only reached the first line of trees that surrounded the property and beyond that all the author could see was darkness. Another odd and dreadful thing was that there were no sounds coming from within or along the forest. It was as if the forest were completely empty save for one. Bill was out there. He was lost, lonely, and probably near freezing to death.

Dipper had to find him and if no one would help him, he would do it on his own. That night, he fell asleep for the first time since Bill had gone missing and dreamed of Bill crying out for help in the middle of the forest. When he awoke, he could still hear the sounds of Bill screaming.

The next morning, Dipper was packed and ready to begin his search.

* * *

The fog had returned and it settled over the forest like a cold, damp blanket. Dipper estimated that distance was visible at about fifteen feet. The crunching of the leaves and his ragged breathing were the only sounds that rang out through the trees. The author had no idea how to search for a missing person but he knew his hunter and he wouldn’t give up until he could return him home.

Three hours in the woods left Dipper feeling a bit hopeless and hungry. He had packed enough bread and water to last him for a few days and he hoped that he would find Bill sooner before the supplies ran out.

He had gone hiking numerous times with Bill through these woods but when another three hours passed, Dipper was worried that he, too, would become lost in this endless forest. He set his backpack down dejectedly and sat down for the first time since he set out. The cold air was making his chest hurt and every breath he took was like a thousand needles poking through his chest plate.

All he could do was hang his head in his hands and cry. He missed Bill. He missed his warmth, his smile, and those lazy nights sitting together by the fire. He missed all of it. Even the arguments. God, what he wouldn’t give to have one more argument with the man. The author felt himself a fool for trying to hide them from the world.

He resolved that when he found Bill, he would come clean about it all, get rid of the curtains in their shack, and kiss the man in front of everyone in town. If it meant he could have just one more moment with the hunter, Dipper would do anything.

There was a small sound of the leaves shuffling beside him and Dipper looked up expecting to see a small animal but instead, he was aghast to see a very small, bearded human-looking creature wearing trousers and a pointed hat.

The creature regarded him curiously, “A-Are you human?”

Dipper was dreaming. He had to be. He pinched himself. Nope, he was awake.

The small creature tilted its head, “H-Hello?”

Dipper gulped, “W-What is this…?”

The creature looked both ways before leaning in, “Y-You’re lost, human…do you know your way home?”

Lost. This creature _knew_ he was lost. Dipper felt a pang of hope and he got on his knees, hissing at the damp cold of the forest floor and shuffling over to the small creature, “Yes! Yes and I’m looking for someone! A hunter, his name is Bill, he’s tall and he has dark hair, darker than mine, have you seen him?!”

The creature squeaked out of fear and scurried away from Dipper, “I-I s-see lots of humans c-coming through here, sir…I’m not sure I remember seeing t-that o-one…”

“What’s here?” A deep voice came from the other side of the trees and a taller bearded man walked out from behind an old pine, “Tell me now, Stephen, or else you’ll-oh…” the man paused at the sight of Dipper kneeling on the ground. “Ah…you must be from the town.”

Dipper stood on shaky legs and watched as the tiny creature ran beneath the taller man’s coattails, “W-Who are you?”

The man looked down at the creature and glared at Dipper, “You’re in unfamiliar territory, my friend, _my_ territory to be exact so it should be **me** directing that question to _you_.”

Dipper flinched and looked in either direction, “M-My name is Dipper,” he held his backpack tighter to himself, “I’m l-looking for someone…”

The small creature yanked at the man’s coattail, “He said he’s looking for a man with dark hair and his name is Bill. He’s a hunter, sir!”

“A hunter, eh?” The man grinned at Dipper, “You know nothing is taken from this forest that cannot come back in. When did you lose this hunter of yours?”

Dipper made a move to stand up straight, “It’s been a week and a day, sir,” he felt tears brim at the corner of his eyes, “Please…have you seen him?”

“Hm, I _may_ have seen a man like that cross through these parts,” he placed his hands on his hips, “But that kind of information doesn’t come for free, Dipper.” His eyes narrowed, “What do you have in that backpack of yours?”

Dipper grimaced but pulled his backpack to his front and unzipped it, “I’ve got two bread loaves, two canteens of water, and a…chocolate bar.”

The creature at the man’s feet squeaked with excitement.

The man smiled and held out his hand, “The chocolate bar it is, then, and one of the bread loaves, if you please.”

Dipper hastily handed over the chocolate bar and one of the loaves, “There, now please, please help me…”

The man gestured for Dipper to follow as he turned around, “This way.” He looked at the creature below him, “This should keep the clan nice and happy for three days, don’t you think?” The response was more excited squeaking.

Dipper blindly followed the taller man through the woods. It was odd because he had been out for six hours and the lighting had hardly changed. If Dipper hadn’t known better, no time had passed since he left the shack.

They had been walking for what felt like hours and Dipper was sure even if he found Bill right now, they would still be lost. But at least they would be together. Dipper cleared his throat, “Where are we?”

The man did not respond but the tiny creature, which was now hanging from the man’s swinging coattails looked up with a sharp, toothy grin and an evil chuckle.

They soon stopped at a clearing and Dipper shivered as a burst of cold air hit him. The author stood beside the man and looked ahead, “What is this place?”

The man pointed across the clearing, “Not two days ago, a dark-skinned man was walking through there. He crossed this very clearing but that was the last I saw or heard of him.”

“Two days ago? Was he trying to find his way home…?”

The man shrugged, “He did not speak to me nor I him,” the man clapped Dipper on the shoulder, “Be careful in these woods, sir, you’ll sooner lose yourself before you find an honest soul in this dark place.” He turned and began to walk away, the tiny creature hanging on his coat excitedly reaching for the chocolate bar that was tucked in his belt.

Dipper uttered a quiet thank you to the man and stared across the clearing. He suddenly had a thought and he turned, “What if I can’t-“ he stopped and looked about the empty forest. There was no sign of the tall man and his tiny creature. There was nothing but silence save for the sound of the wind rustling through the trees.

* * *

Dipper was fearful to cross the large clearing. Several nights spent chatting with Bill about his hunts made him wary about being out in the open and mistaken for an animal. It took him close to an hour to skirt the line until he made it to the other side and he was still perplexed at how night had not fallen yet.

The fog was still as thick as it was when he left.

Dipper stopped walking when his stomach lurched with hunger. He leaned against a tree and decided to take a small break to eat. After giving up nearly half his supply to the bearded man, he had to be more careful about how he used it. After eating two slices of bread and downing half of one canteen, Dipper repacked his bag and stood up.

There was the sound of a quiet laughter emanating further in the woods and Dipper listened closely. It was airy and feminine, it almost sounded like his sister’s laughter. Dipper felt a pang in his chest when he realized he had not informed Mabel of his intent to look for Bill on his own. He had to find Bill and get them home as quickly as possible.

The laughter became clearer the further Dipper moved in and in no time, Dipper was looking upon a young woman sitting amongst a small circle of stones. The young author inched closer, “H-Hello?” The woman froze in shock and she turned to look at Dipper.

She was breathtakingly beautiful. Her eyes were wide and large like a child’s and their color was a light, baby blue. Her blonde hair seemed to shimmer and glow even in the grey fog and Dipper gulped, “Um…I’m looking for someone, miss…”

She smiled, “You’re lost.”

Dipper sighed, “I know…I’m looking for someone who is also lost…have you seen a man-“

“I’ve seen no one come through here.”

Dipper’s breath hitch and he felt a wave of anger overtake him, “I just met a man who said he walked through here…please…”

She grinned and lowered her eyes to the floor, “You’re on Cipher’s hunt, dear boy. This is the end of the line for you. You won’t be going anywhere.” Suddenly her voice changed to a low rumble and her eyes morphed into dark slits that revealed to be pink orbs. Her mouth opened wide to reveal large fangs, one on either side on the top and bottom. Her hair melted away and her left shoulder bulged out so much Dipper could hear the bones cracking.

That was when he decided to run. There was a long roar from behind him and Dipper bolted for the clearing. His breath was caught in his chest and he felt his legs getting too heavy. The sounds of the leaves rustling deep within the forest indicated the creature was right at his heels. Dipper dared not turn around.

In his haste, he failed to see the tree root obstructed by the leaves and he cried in pain as his ankle twisted fiercely. He fell to the ground with a hard thud and curled up in fear as the sounds of the creature became closer.

Dipper pulled his backpack closer and opened it, rummaging for his source of protection. When he found it, he heard the creature’s laughter as it approached it him slowly. Once it was close enough to breath down Dipper’s neck, Dipper quickly turned and fired a shot straight through the creature’s chest.

The creature let a painful roar and stumbled back to hit a tree. Once it righted itself, it fixed Dipper with a hard glare and lunged at him again. Without hesitating, Dipper fired another shot at the creature’s shoulder. The creature let out a painful cry and stumbled back once more.

Dipper advanced towards the creature angrily with a slight limp in his step, “Don’t move! Or the next shot will be right through your head.”

The creature regarded Dipper angrily but was in no position to retort. After a couple of pained breaths, it chuckled, “Of course…it would be you…you’re the hunter’s lover…”

Dipper gulped and maintained his hard glare, “You’re damned right I am. Now where is he?!”

The creature laughed, “You keep going the way you came, Dipper Pines,” it coughed up some green slime, “And you’ll find what you’re looking for soon enough…”

Dipper snarled, “Just tell me where he is!”

The creature coughed again and took a few more stuttering breaths before it fell limp against the tree. Dipper growled angrily and turned to scream out his frustration towards the treetops. He fell to the ground as his screams turned to sobs and he stared at the pistol in his hands.

No. He wasn’t giving up. He had just taken out a large monster with the help of the shooting lessons Bill had taught him years ago. Bill was with him…in some way. Dipper stood up and limped away from the rotting creature’s body with a little more determination in his step. He picked up his backpack and headed deeper into the forest.

* * *

Dipper wasn’t sure what day it was anymore. The fog never lifted, night never fell, and the sun never rose or set. He had emptied both of his canteens and the bread had gone moldy before he could finish it. Now he had no food, no water, his stomach was caving in and his mouth was dry.

The forest was starting to make him feel dizzy. His memories of Bill just weren’t keeping him focused anymore. So he started counting every other number to keep himself aware. This went on for what felt like days and when he reached number 6,713, he fell to the ground. “Bill…where are you…?”

He felt the cold air pierce through his clothes as the heaviness of his journey came crashing down upon him. Everything had fallen apart. He couldn’t find Bill and he couldn’t even get himself home if he tried. He could hear the voices of the creatures in the woods laughing and snickering at him. Dipper hesitantly reached for his pistol.

_Now, now, where’s the fun in that?_

“Huh…” Dipper lifted his head as the voice rang through the air, “What…?”

_We’ve barely just begun, Pine Tree…and you’ve done so well._

Dipper sat up and looked around in a daze, that voice was so familiar… “Please…I just want to bring him home,” his voice was a scratching whisper, he felt so close to death.

_That’ll cost you both, you know._

Dipper fell forward towards that voice, “I have nothing…to give.”

_I disagree. You can bring him home…we can haggle over the price later._

Dipper sighed as he looked up at the tops of the trees, “I’ll give anything…”

_Perfect. Open your eyes and head towards the sunlight._

“Who are you?” Dipper’s brows furrowed as he cracked his eyes open. The fog was beginning to clear and rays of sunlight slowly filtered between the leaves of the trees. Dipper sat up slowly, he was weak and frail from what felt like days without food and water. He stood just as quick and aimed for where the sunlight was concentrating on a particular point in the center of the forest.

It looked much different now that the fog had lifted. It was brighter, the air was lighter, and Dipper felt the slightest bit of warmth from the sun’s rays. He felt drawn to that beacon of light like a moth to the flame. _‘Bill…please be here…please be alright…’_

Dipper held out his hands when he came upon a row of vines that covered the path to where the sun was shining in what looked like a small clearing. The man weakly tore at the vines, his weak muscles ached by merely lifting them. When they were finally free, Dipper squinted as the sunlight splayed upon his face.

If Dipper didn’t believe in miracles, he believed in them now.

Lying, no, resting in the middle of the clearing, was none other than his hunter. Bill looked as if he was asleep and weeds, or vines, had slowly grown along his legs, arms, and neck. Gently as if in a gentle embrace. He was still dressed in the same clothes he had left in.

Tears tracked down Dipper’s face as he walked closer, “B-Bill?” he reached out and hesitantly touched Bill’s knee, nearly sobbing when the man didn’t disappear under his touch, “Oh my god…Bill…” He fell against the man and pulled him into a tight embrace, burying his face into the crook of the man’s neck as he cried happily.

Dipper wanted to cherish this. Bill was still unresponsive but Dipper could feel his slow heartbeat as he held him tightly against him. Dipper pressed a kiss to Bill’s cheek and murmured softly in his ear, “Bill, come on…let’s get you home…”

The weeds tightened around Bill’s arms and legs. Dipper hesitated when he tried to pull Bill up and met resistance. “No…you’re coming home,” he said to no one in particular as he reached in his pocket for his knife and began cutting away at the weeds and the grass. In no time at all, Bill fell against Dipper’s shoulder the man caught him as he pulled Bill up and away from the spot he had been lying in. He hoisted Bill’s arm around his shoulder, “Let’s go home…”

Bill moaned softly as he was stirred awake, “Dipper…? Where…where are we?”

Dipper couldn’t help the happy grin that blossomed over his face, “Yes…don’t worry…we’re going home, we’re going home.”

Once Bill became a little more conscious, he wrapped his arms around Dipper’s shoulder as the other man assisted him in walking. He was silent the rest of the way to the shack. The fog had returned but it mattered none to Dipper. He had Bill back. Finally.

Dipper thought it would take them days to find the shack again but the soft glow of the porch light in the distance made him giddy with excitement. “They told me to give up on you,” he held Bill tighter, “I knew you were still alive…I knew it…”

Bill’s lips quirked in a small smile, “I…I’m home?”

Dipper helped Bill up the porch and opened the front door, “Come on, let’s get something to eat.” He guided Bill to the kitchen table and quickly got them some water. They both downed it within a few seconds. Dipper grabbed Bill’s hand and would have been content to never let it go.

Bill gripped his hand tightly, “It was like a nightmare in there…”

Dipper leaned forward and rested his forehead on Bill’s shoulder, “Tell me.”

Bill pressed his cheek to the top of Dipper’s head, “I’m not even sure what happened…I was in a new area of the forest and the next thing I knew…you were cutting me from that chair…the rest was like a nightmare of me trying to make my way home…”

“You’re safe now,” Dipper kissed Bill’s cheek, “I’m here.”

“How did I get home…?” Bill took in Dipper’s rough appearance, “What happened to you?”

Dipper smiled and gripped Bill’s hand tighter, “It’s alright, don’t worry about me. I was worried when the search parties couldn’t find you so…I came for you.”

Bill’s eyes glimmered fearfully, “You…you went in the forest?”

Dipper nodded, “Well…yes. Bill I knew you were out there…I had to find you.”

Bill took a stuttering breath as he looked down at the table, “You found me…you went into the forest…no, that’s not…you shouldn’t have…” he covered his eyes with his hand as his words broke into a quiet sob, “Dipper…why did you do that?”

Dipper was confused. Why was Bill so upset? “Bill…” he rubbed Bill’s shoulder soothingly, “I’ll…I’ll make you something to eat, okay?” Dipper shrugged it off. Bill’s nerves must have been shot…

Bill took a deep breath as he looked around the kitchen, “I’m not really hungry…”

Dipper nodded and kissed his cheek again, “Then I’ll prepare a bath for you.” He quickly set off to the bathroom and began running hot water in the basin. Once he was done with that, he turned into the hallway and jumped in shock at the sight of Bill standing there as if he had been waiting there for years, “You scared me….”

Bill moved closer and wrapped his arms around Dipper, “I’m sorry,” he kissed his forehead, “Thank you. Thank you so much.” He tightened his grip around Dipper and his head fell on the author’s shoulder, “I’m so sorry…I’m sorry…”

Dipper relaxed them against the wall and wrapped his arms around Bill’s waist, “It’s alright…you’re safe, you’re here, that’s all that matters now.” They stayed like that for a minute or two before Dipper reluctantly pulled away, “The water’s still running. Come on, it’s nearly ready for you.” He felt something damp on his shoulder and was surprised to see that Bill had been crying, “Please don’t cry…” he wiped Bill’s tears away, “You’re home.”

Bill nodded and followed Dipper into the bathroom, shutting the door. It took him only a minute to get completely undressed and he submerged himself in the water with a relieved sigh. He looked towards Dipper who had turned the water off and was now gathering his clothes, “Get in with me. Please.”

Dipper looked at Bill hesitantly and placed the clothes on the toilet lid, “Are you sure?” In the three years that they had lived together, they had never shared a bath. Not that the request was unusual to Dipper, it had just seemed so sudden.

Bill nodded and held out his hand, “Please.” His eyes were desperate and shaky.

Dipper nodded and undressed quickly. When he walked towards the basin, Bill scooted up to give Dipper room to sit. When Dipper was comfortably seated behind him, Bill relaxed against his chest with a content sigh.

Dipper smiled and wrapped his arms around Bill’s chest. They sat in silence as Bill trailed his hands over Dipper’s arms. Every now and then he would run his fingers over a mixture of fresh and old scrapes and he kissed each one in a silent apology. Dipper pressed a kiss to the back of Bill’s head, “I missed you so much.”

Bill kissed Dipper’s hand, “I missed you, too.”

Dipper reached over and grabbed a washcloth, for being out in the woods longer than Dipper had, Bill was surprisingly clean. He had a few scrapes and scratches where the vines had clung to him but they were not too deep. They would heal quickly. Soon enough, the water had gone cold and their skin was pruned.

They both got a much needed chuckle at the looks of their fingers and after they were dried and partially dressed, Dipper pulled Bill close in the middle of the hallway, “What do you say to two hot mugs of earl grey by the fireplace?”

Bill hummed and kissed Dipper’s forehead, “That sounds perfect.”

Twenty minutes and a few stolen kisses later, the two were sitting in front of the fire with their two now empty mugs sitting off to the side. Dipper sat beside Bill and rested his head on the hunter’s shoulder, “Just wait until everyone knows your safe. They’ll eat their words.”

Bill tensed as he wrapped an arm around Dipper’s shoulders, “All in good time, love,” he shifted his position so that he was sitting behind Dipper. He began pressing gentle kisses to the back of Dipper’s neck, slowly increasing them with fervor as Dipper craned his neck at the touches.

Dipper relaxed immediately as Bill began kissing him. He turned his head and caught Bill’s lips in a kiss that felt like it took ages to happen. Before Dipper knew it, he was being pressed onto the floor with Bill hovering above him and stripping him of his shirt. Dipper flinched at the roughness that wasn’t there the countless other times they did this. He placed his hands on Bill’s shoulders in an effort to still him, “Bill…gently…”

Bill removed his own shirt and kissed Dipper slowly, savoring the feeling, “I’m sorry…I just…I never thought I’d see you again…” He ran his hands along Dipper’s sides slowly, “Tell me this isn’t a dream…that I’m really home and here with you.”

Dipper pulled him down so that their chests were pressed together, “You’re here…you’re home,” he kissed both of Bill’s cheeks and forehead, “It’s not a dream…”

Bill sighed with relief and returned to kissing the man beneath him. He had already removed the rest of their clothes and was about to press against Dipper readily before he realized, “Shit…the curtains…” he looked over at the windows with the curtains withdrawn to the outside world and moved to get up and close them.

Dipper yanked him back down with a shake of the head, “No, leave them,” he lifted his hips and wrapped his legs around Bill’s waist, “We’ll burn them tomorrow.”

In a state of slight shock, Bill chuckled and leaned down for a quick kiss, “I love you.”

Dipper gripped Bill tightly as they began moving, “I love you, too.”

They didn’t stop until the fire had completely died out and while Dipper had never been more content and happy in his entire life, he couldn’t help but notice how different Bill seemed throughout their union. Even when they switched positions, there were moments where Bill was a bit rougher than usual, leaving marks that bled and gripping his wrists until they bruised.

When they had made it to the bedroom, Bill was straddling Dipper’s hips with his arm braced against the headboard as he met each of Dipper’s upward thrusts with a jerked roll. And it may have been a trick of the light but Dipper could have sworn his eyes appeared to glow gold and his pupils morphed into slits when Bill opened his eyes to look down at him. Every time Dipper noticed it, it went away just as fast.

When they were spent, Dipper curled up beside Bill and kissed his chest, “I’m so happy…”

Bill grinned against Dipper’s forehead, “I’ll see you in the morning.”

* * *

When Dipper awoke, the first thing he noticed was that the sky was still overcast and the fog was still present. There was an eerie quiet that settled over the atmosphere. Dipper couldn’t remember the last time he heard birds singing or crickets chirping.

The second thing he noticed was that Bill was not in bed with him. He knew the man didn’t go out on another hunt so Dipper naturally assumed that he was in the kitchen. Dipper stretched and made his way, albeit with a slight limp, to the front of the house. “Bill?”

Dipper walked in the living room and picked up their forgotten mugs from the floor, listening to any sounds of movement within the house. When no sounds came, Dipper felt his heart start to race, _‘No…it’s okay…he might be in his shed…’_

Ugh, Dipper did not want to check there. He didn’t even check when Bill was missing. Why would Bill do this? Leave him alone after everything they had both been through? Dipper hastily put on some clothes and ran in the direction of the shed. The moment he approached it he noticed the smell of rotten meat. Bill always kept the meat in the freezer…he had only been gone a week, how bad could it have gotten?

When Dipper opened the shed, he covered his mouth and nose immediately. The smell was near putrid and it emanated from the freezer which, for some reason, was turned off. Dipper opened the small door and stood in shock at the sight of the rotted deer meat.

This was impossible. How could it be _that_ rotted after only a week…?

Dipper ran out the shed, “Bill?! Bill, where are you?!” Dipper stopped when he heard a chuckle echo through the property. “Huh…” it was coming in the direction of the porch. Dipper ran back towards the shack. Sitting on the front porch in the small rocking chair was Bill.

Except it _wasn’t_ Bill. On the outset he looked the same as usual but his eyes…they were glowing gold and his pupils were in those black slits Dipper thought he had seen from the night before. He had a wide, unsettling grin on his face as he stared at Dipper intently.

“Well, well, well,” Bill crossed his legs in the chair, “Look who decided to wake up extra late this morning.” His voice sounded different too…it had an air of…evil underneath it.

Dipper’s gaze shifted nervously as he backed away from the porch, “What is this…Bill, what are you doing?”

“Oh, don’t worry about that Pine Tree, he’ll be fine, probably,” Bill dove into a series of chuckles as he gripped his sides, “Man, laughter is so much more fun inside a human body! Among other things.” Bill wiped a laughter tear from his eye as he stood up, “Ah, anyway, let’s get down to business, Pine Tree.”

Dipper had heard this voice before…it was the voice from within the woods! The one that led him to…led him to Bill. “You…” Dipper took a deep breath, “You’re the voice from the woods…”

“Hm? Oh yeah, wasn’t that fun?” Bill leaned over the railing of the porch and flicked Dipper’s nose, “I tell you what I never imagined I would be playing a two for one game at this time of the year. Normally it’s not so crowded!”

Dipper wasn’t following any of this and he gripped his head in confusion, “What is this?! What have you done with Bill?!”

Bill bared his teeth and ran his tongue along the edges with an amused look on his face, “Eh? Oh, I am him…well sort of, anyway,” he hopped over the railing and stretched his arms out, giggling when he heard the popping of joints, “You can call me Cipher, kid.”

“Cipher?” Dipper watched Bill suspiciously as the man looked at his own hands. Dipper’s eyes widened when Bill started force cracking his knuckles backwards with a maniacal look in his eyes. He ran over and grabbed Bill’s wrist, “Stop it! What are you doing to yourself?!”

The next thing Dipper felt was pain as he was flung back about fifty feet from the house. His head hit the ground with such force that he swore he might have blacked out for a moment. When he looked up he saw that Bill, or Cipher, was hovering in the air and his eyes were glowing even brighter now. The amused and playful look had faded and was now replaced with something a little more sinister.

Cipher hovered closer to Dipper, “Listen, Pine Tree,” his voice was slightly deeper, “You’re in my world now. My world, my rules. The same goes for him, too. You both made a deal and now I’m collecting the debt.” He broke out into a wide toothy grin as he extended his arms, “Which means we’re gonna have a whole ton of fun!”

Dipper shook his head, “A deal? What are you talking about?! I never made a deal!”

Cipher laughed, “Oh ho, yes you did! You were basically done for in the woods. Starved to death, dehydrated, probably had more infections than you could count considering how scraped up you became. Consider finding that little hunter of yours an act of mercy before the real fun begins.”

Dipper’s heart was still racing as he processed all of this. “An act of mercy?”

“Mhm, you see, from here on out we’re going to play a little game. It’s pretty simple, you already have it mostly down. The deal is, I take this body and go into the woods and you try to find me! Remember those creatures you met along the way the first time around? Well, you’re going to do what future generations call ‘leveling up!’” Cipher laughed for a few moments and stopped when he regarded Dipper’s confused face, “Ugh, basically I go into the woods and hide, you try and find me while going up against scary, paranormal creatures that might kill or maim you, you dig?”

Dipper was still in shock. “I don’t understand… _why_ are you doing this?”

Cipher shrugged, “You said you’d give anything to get your hunter back so, there you go! You got him back and now I get to have my fun.” Cipher chuckled, “I didn’t think it would be that easy to get you to go into the woods, though! Man, that was easier than I thought.”

Dipper shook his head, “You…you said Bill made a deal, too…what was it?”

“That’s between him and I and I believe in client-confidentiality, kid. It doesn’t matter if you’re both fucking each other. That just makes it more fun for me!”

Dipper glared, “What if I don’t want to play this game…I just want Bill back!”

Cipher snapped Bill’s fingers, “And that’s where your prize comes in! You see, I consider myself a lot kinder than most demons. My clients work best when they’re fully satisfied and happy. So you play my game and when you find me, you get your hunter back every single time! Isn’t that great?”

Dipper felt tears prick the corner of his eyes. A demon. He had made a deal with a demon…he was on the brink of death and in that moment, he forged a contract with the devil all in order to retrieve Bill. Dipper had no idea that his love was that strong.

“Ugh…spare me,” Cipher rolled his eyes as he hovered closer to Dipper, “Here’s something that’ll sweeten the pot a bit. Remember that amazing night you and your hunter had? Well, imagine that being stretched out for a whole year or three! It’s certainly a possibility when you play along!”

Tears rolled down Dipper’s cheeks, “And if I don’t…?”

Cipher landed on the ground above Dipper and he grabbed Dipper’s hair, forcing him to look up, “Then you get to watch your hunter die…over and over and over again.”

Dipper was shaking. He wasn’t sure if it was rage or sadness or both. This demon was using Bill’s body…and it was making Dipper feel strange. Dipper whimpered painfully as he was yanked up to a standing position.

Bill’s hands were cupping Dipper’s cheeks, “Now, now, Pine Tree,” Cipher’s voice had calmed down considerably and Dipper could hear Bill’s actual voice in there somewhere, “It won’t all be bad if you hold up your end of the deal. The hunter is holding up his, so I know you can, too.”

Dipper looked up into Bill’s eyes and saw that they were now glowing a bright blue. It reminded Dipper of when he was a kid and he watched welders meld steel together with extremely hot flames. Hell fire.

Cipher smirked, “What do you say, Pine Tree? Are you ready for the hunt?”

Dipper glared all the hatred he could into those eyes and nodded with plenty of resistance.

A victorious laugh sounded off from Cipher, “Perfect!” He pressed his lips to Dipper’s in a congratulatory kiss and bit the author’s bottom lip hard.

Dipper gasped as he felt the sting and the taste of blood on his tongue. When he looked up, Bill’s body was gone and it was as if no one was ever there. Dipper turned in circles looking for a clue of where Bill might have gone. He turned his attention to a loud, echoing maniac laughter that rang deep in the direction of the forest.

_Game on, kid! Come find me!_

Dipper angrily bolted for the tree line.

* * *

 

_Summer 1976_

 

“Alright, Mr. Pines, is this place good enough for you?” The landlord gestured carelessly to the old, run down shack in the middle of the woods. “No one’s lived here for the last twenty years but if it makes ya feel better we got this nice lady Rosa who came in and gave the place a run down so…it’s pretty spotless.”

Stanford Pines looked at the front porch with mild disinterest, “It’s a little small…I’m going to need more space to do my research. Do you have anything else?”

The landlord sighed, “Look, pal, this is all I got. You take it or leave it.”

Stanford held up his hand, his father taught him this trick, “Listen, I received a pretty hefty salary for the research I have to do. How much would it cost to build a new shack? A bigger one?”

The landlord rubbed his chin in thought, “Heh, you remind me of the young guy who used to live here twenty years ago…can’t remember his name to save my life but now that I think about it, I think he had the same last name as you. We’ll go back to my office and figure out the paperwork to get this place bulldozed and build a brand spankin’ new one.”

Ford smiled triumphantly, “Thanks! And I know exactly whom you’re talking about! His published name was Dipper Pines and he’s the one whom my research is based off of! His novels inspired all of my theories and I really believe he was on to something.”

The landlord hummed, “Any relation?”

Ford shook his head, “No. He was born and raised in California and my whole family is from New Jersey. If there is any relation, it must be distant.” Ford looked over the tree line thoughtfully, “The last I heard of Dipper Pines he had come out here to do more research…not sure what happened afterwards, though…”

The landlord scoffed, “Ha! That guy was a raving lunatic after his ‘housemate’ went missing in the woods three years after he moved here. Guy who went missing was one of those local, native fellas who pretty much grew up with a rifle in his hand. Hunted local fauna for the town, you know?”

Ford shook his head, “So…what happened to him?”

The landlord shrugged, “No one ever found him. Mr. Pines went coo-coo bananas and shut himself in for about a week until he went missing, too. Ever since then, no one’s heard a word or found the two guys.” The landlord shuddered as he muttered under his breath, “Couple of real fags if you ask me, yeesh. Anyway, it’s certainly a good idea to never go into those woods alone. There’s a lot of strange things that happen in there.”

Ford bit his lip, “So no one ever found them…that’s…certainly a great ghost story.”

The landlord laughed, “Yeah I guess it is! Come on, pal. Let’s head back to my office to work out our numbers on this project.”

Within a few months, Ford had officially moved into his newly built shack and was prepared to start up his research. The first few weeks were a little rough but once Ford got his bearings, the days passed like seconds.

When the fall season rolled around, Ford was ready to start venturing out into the forest to do more research. He was thankful when the landlord had reminded him that since the incident from twenty years ago, the land was privately purchased and subsequently closed to hunters and campers alike. While that should have sent off a red flag, Ford wasn’t about to let a little ghost story keep him from doing his research.

It was bright and early in the morning and Ford was packed and ready for his first day out in the woods. The sky was a bright blue and there was hardly a cloud in sight. Ford could not have asked for better weather.

A few hours into his hike, Ford was already getting bored. There wasn’t much to report on and in all, the place seemed like an ordinary forest. Ford chalked up the ghost story he had heard earlier up to townsfolk lore to keep their children from entering the forest.

That was when he heard something like a chuckle coming from deeper in the trees. Ford had thought the landlord said no campers were allowed on the property once it became private land but this seemed different from that.

It sounded like an argument. One person was shouting angrily while the other was laughing hysterically in response. Ford found it strange that a fog started to settle through the treetops.

As he got closer to the source of the sounds, he saw a young, brown-haired man looking up into the large pine tree ahead of Ford. He was shouting at someone above him.

“Please! I found you! Now let me bring him home!”

Ford followed the brunette’s gaze and his eyes landed on a dark haired, tan gentlemen dressed in a simple button down and trousers. The man was perched on a large branch of the pine tree and he was smiling down at the brunette below him with vague amusement, “Oh come on now, Pine Tree,” he teased, “When was the last time you held him in your arms? You know you can do better than that.”

The brunette below sighed dejectedly and fell to his knees, “It’s been ten years, you monster! Ten years! Please…” his voice broke into a sob, “Just let me bring him home…”

Ford felt like he was watching something he shouldn’t have been and he slowly inched away from the strange altercation. He was about to turn around when he made the mistake of looking back up in the pines and saw the man perched in the tree staring directly at him with golden, glowing eyes. Ford actually felt the hair on his neck stand on end at the intensity of that stare and for the first time in his life, he felt fear.

The man in the tree grinned at Ford widely and looked back down at the brunette below, “Not good enough, Pine Tree. Guess you’ll just have to suffer this time around. Better luck next time.” The man then shifted all his weight forward as he let himself fall from the branch.

“No!”

Ford quickly turned around to avoid seeing the sight of the man hitting the ground but the sound of cracking and shattering bones was a sound that would be forever etched into his memories. Ford felt nauseous as he turned around to see the other man, Pine Tree, rushing over to the body of the man in the tree. He screamed and sobbed as he cradled the man closely.

Ford felt a desperate urge to help this man even though he had no idea of what was going on. He nervously walked towards the man, freezing in his step when he noticed that the man from the tree was still alive and taking shallow, ragged breaths. His eyes looked different, they looked sad and pained.

The man in the brunette’s arms slowly lifted his hand to cup at the brunette’s cheek. He didn’t speak but his breathing became more rushed like he was trying to talk.

The brunette shook his head and pressed their foreheads together, “I’m so sorry, Bill…I’m sorry…please forgive me…”

The man in his arms, Bill, quirked his lips in a very small grin before he coughed unexpectedly, his body racking with pain as blood spat out of the his mouth. The brunette became frantic and held the man closer.

“No, no, no,” the brunette caught Bill’s hand as his entire body went limp, “No, please…come back…come back to me, please! I’m so sorry!”

Bill had stopped moving. The light in his eyes was gone as they gazed lifelessly at the sky. The brunette broke into desperate, pained sobs as he held the man closer.

Ford went to back away from the macabre scene and flinched when he stepped on a branch. The sound echoed throughout the entire forest. The brunette stopped crying immediately and lifted his head. Ford froze when the man turned his head and though he looked in Ford’s direction, it seemed his gaze went right through him.

Ford was about to say something when the broken body of the man in the tree disappeared into thin air and the man known as Pine Tree gasped at his now empty lap.

The air echoed with chuckles once more.

Pine Tree stood up with an angry growl as he jetted deeper into the forest, “Dammit, Cipher!”

Ford stood in the thickness of the fog trying to comprehend what he had just witnessed. He felt like he had just been privy to some dark secret. Something he wished he could unsee, unlearn…Either way, by the time he returned to his shack the fog had lifted and the birds began singing again. But Ford could never shake that feeling away and ever since that day, he felt as if there were eyes watching him in the forest.

Every now and then, no matter what time of day, the sounds of evil laughter and angry shouting reverberated loudly through the forests of Gravity Falls.

* * *

 


	2. Going Home

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Cipher concedes to a six year period of peace while he tends to other more interesting things. Dipper and Bill have some time to themselves.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> IMPORTANT: If you do not want to read fluff, then go no further. This was originally intended to be "after-care" after the first chapter. They both work well enough on their own. 
> 
> PREPARE YOURSELF FOR THE FLUFF MONSTER. I will probably never write anything this fluffy ever again. (famous last words, ha!)
> 
> And in case you're interested, I compiled a playlist of some of the songs I listened to while writing this monster. You can find it here:  
> http://8tracks.com/yeysal/cipher-s-hunt
> 
> ALSO first official completed work! Yay! Accomplishments!

_Fall 1976_

The air became colder the deeper he went into the forest. Dipper felt as if he had been wandering for days since the last time he saw a hint of Bill within the trees. It compared little to the amount of time he actually spent with the man since Cipher set him on this sick hunt.

It had been ten years now.

Cipher had forced Bill out of a tree not too long ago. Bill landed on the ground with a sickening crack and Dipper wasn’t sure if he was grateful that his lover was still alive after the ordeal or not. Fortunately, Bill didn’t seem to be in any pain during Cipher’s possession. Perhaps he was too numb at that point. Or it was just wishful thinking.

Cipher had done nothing but toy with the both of them. Even the scarce amount of times he had been able to win Cipher’s game, Cipher had only allowed them two days, at most, of peace before taking Bill’s body and running off into the forest. On one occasion they only had one hour together. Hardly enough time.

Dipper seethed at the memory. Seeing Cipher torture and maim Bill’s body was bad enough. When Cipher ended the cycle to start over again and would make Bill die in various ways, that was what tore at Dipper’s soul. If he could forget the number of times he held Bill in his arms as the hunter died from his traumatic injuries, it would be too merciful.

The more time passed without having a moment of peace with Bill, the less desperate he felt and the more incensed he became. Dipper was starting to fear that all of his love and optimism had left his heart. He had never felt so empty in his life.

Every time he saw Bill, however, even if he was just being used as a vessel for Cipher, it was like he was back at the shack again and chatting with Bill by the fire. It never ceased to make him sob when Cipher took Bill away from him. He was determined to get Bill back to him even if it meant he had to face the nightmarish creatures in these woods a thousand times over.

So Dipper trudged forward. His determination morphed into anger and his anger transformed itself into fuel for his energy. He ran his hands over an old tree where he had etched countless amounts of markings to determine how many times he passed it.

Once Dipper realized that Cipher could rearrange the forest, all the trees in the forest looked like this. After he spent a week circling the same area due to Cipher’s tricks, Dipper took notice to everything he encountered.

That demon would not wear down Dipper’s hope. Not ever. Even if he could never trust what he saw with his own two eyes ever again, Dipper would hold out the hope if only for Bill.

“Well la-dee-da,” that airy, irritating voice sang out in front of him, “It’s about time, Pine Tree.”

Dipper looked up as Cipher carefully jumped from the boulder he was perched on and he clenched his fists readily for whatever monster the demon would throw at him.

Cipher took notice of Dipper’s anticipation and laughed softly, “No need for that,” he stretched his arms out, “This is the end game for this little hunt, Pine Tree! Congratulations and all that! Or is it mazel tav? I can never get these silly sentiments right nowadays.”

Dipper glared, relieved that the sinister feeling in the air was gone and Cipher was ready to give Bill up, “Can we just cut to the chase where you let me bring Bill home…please?”

Cipher glanced at Dipper thoughtfully, “We _could,_ ” he pinched at Bill’s cheek, “Or you can hear me out on something a little helpful to your cases.”

Dipper regarded him suspiciously, “What do you mean?”

Cipher clapped his hands together, “Well, you see I was thinking…letting you win your prize just for a day or two is getting to be too boring. I’d like to reward you with more time.”

Dipper didn’t like the way this sounded. It was…too good to be true. “Okay…?”

Bill pointed, “But _you_ have been misbehaving every time you win. That’s why your time has been so short.”

“Misbehaving?”

Bill nodded, “You two have been trying to work your way out of the deal and I won’t stand for it. Granted, there’s nothing you can do about it regardless but just the thought that you would try to turn your backs on me makes me feel a little angry.”

Dipper scoffed, “Unbelievable…” His anger was making his face feel hot, “Are you fucking kidding me?! You have put us both through absolute hell! Do you realize how many times I was nearly killed in there?! How many times you’ve killed Bill?! And you’re upset because we want out?!”

Cipher’s eyes turned red, “Don’t test me, Pine Tree,” he hovered Bill’s body off the ground, “I have been _more_ than patient with you. Here I am, offering you more time with your hunter and now you’re running your mouth and it’s pushing me in the opposite direction. Listen well, you little fleshbag, the best side to be on in your situation is **_mine._** ”

Dipper gulped and inched back nervously, “W-What do you want us to do?”

Bill’s eyes returned to their normal golden color and he landed on the ground smoothly, “Well, there are a number of things. The obvious one, of course, is no coup d’état’s! The second one, and this kills me because it would make my entertainment so much sweeter, is to not push your hunter into admitting his deal. I told you once before about client-confidentiality. He doesn’t know about your deal nor will he ask you about it. Though I’m pretty sure he can figure it out on his own.”

Dipper sighed and leaned against the tree. He was exhausted. Ten years of aimlessly roaming the forest, creatures trying to kill him, nearly drowning five times in the lake…he was surprised he made it this long. “Okay…okay…please, just give him back to me…”

Cipher smirked, “You haven’t asked how long I’m giving you. Don’t you want to know?”

Dipper looked up with desperation in his eyes, “How long…?”

Cipher hummed and tapped his chin, “You’ve both been good. But to be honest, I’m sick of feeling this fleshbag’s skin being all sweaty and overall just disgusting so I’ll be giving you a good six years of peace and quiet until our next round of fun.”

Dipper’s heart stopped in his chest. Six years of uninterrupted peace? Six years? This couldn’t be real, “Y-You’re lying…”

“Now why would I lie? Seriously, human bodies are disgusting.”

“This is a trick…you’re not really giving us six years…”

“Of course I am! What makes you think I won’t?”

“Because you’re cruel.”

“True. But I’m really no different than you.”

“W-What?” Dipper blinked.

Cipher put his hands in his pockets and walked towards Dipper, “Oh, you know,” he chuckled as he circled the other man, “You claim you loved him so much but heaven forbid you be seen as anything but ‘housemates’ in the general public.” He rested his chin on Dipper’s shoulder, “I don’t really have a heart so I literally can’t imagine how heartbreaking that must feel.”

Dipper felt tears pool in his eyes and he closed them tightly, “Things were going to change, you asshole,” he gritted out, “I was-“

“Yeah, yeah, words are pretty but actions are more fun,” Cipher walked around to Dipper’s front, “Not like you would care how he felt about it anyway, right?”

Dipper looked up into Cipher’s eyes, something he rarely ever did, and glared, “You’re right. I was a jerk about coming out about us. But I was _never_ ashamed of him. I love him. Nothing will ever change that. Not even you.”

Cipher’s eyes seemed to soften a bit as he moved closer, “I’m not sure I like your tone.”

Dipper held his gaze but inched back until he was pressed against the tree, “W-Why…?” Bill’s hand was around his neck and he was lifted until he was at eye level with Cipher, “W-What are you d-doing?” Dipper winced when Cipher gripped jaw tightly.

Cipher held his gaze for what felt like years. The golden orbs flashed from blue, to red, and back to gold in rapid succession until finally, they reverted to Bill’s own amber, human eyes.

Bill took a deep breath as if he had been holding it for years, dropped his hands from Dipper’s face, and began to fall to the ground at Dipper’s feet.

“B-Bill?!” Dipper caught him before he could fall completely. He cupped Bill’s cheeks and looked into those eyes for assurance as he knelt to the ground.

Those were his eyes. This was his Bill.

Dipper actually laughed. He laughed and pulled Bill into a tight embrace which was returned with fervor, “Finally…” It had been too long since he had held Bill in his arms while the man was still alive. Dipper was more than elated to feel Bill’s pulse as he buried his face in the crook of his neck.

Bill was quiet for a while, holding Dipper close and resting his face on Dipper’s shoulder taking deep, ragged breaths until they evened out. Once the air became a bit colder, he shook Dipper’s arm, “Let’s go home.”

Dipper nodded and pulled back, helping Bill get to his feet, “Do you know how much time he gave us?” He looped Bill’s arm around his shoulders as they began walking.

Bill pulled Dipper closer, being mindful about tripping over his feet, “I heard…six years…”

Dipper smiled and kissed Bill’s wrist, “I know it’s not much…but it’s heaven to me…”

Bill nodded, “I wish it could be longer…or better yet, I wish we were-“

“Don’t…” Dipper interrupted, fearful of Cipher cutting their time short like the last few times, “Please, I understand but let’s just…enjoy the time we have.”

Bill grunted painfully as they made their way out of the forest. When they returned to the shack, the porch light was still lit. Bill touched the railing on the steps leading to the porch, “It’s amazing how well it’s been kept…considering the circumstances…”

Dipper made a noise in agreement as he led Bill to the kitchen table, pressing a kiss to his forehead, “I’ll make us some tea…” He moved quickly to the stove.

Bill shook his head and stood up, moving behind Dipper and wrapping his arms around him, “If it’s all the same to you,” he kissed the back of Dipper’s head, “I’d like to-” He sighed and grabbed Dipper’s hand as it moved to pour water into the kettle and gently whispered, “Slow down…we’re not racing, here…” He took the kettle out of Dipper’s hand much to the brunette’s dismay and set it down, “Let me tend to you.”

Dipper turned his head, confused by Bill’s sudden attention, “Tend to me? Why?”

Bill frowned and brought Dipper’s hand in front of his face, displaying the many scars and bruises that covered it, “That’s a start…”

Dipper looked at his hand and shrugged carelessly, “Don’t worry about me,” he grabbed the kettle again, “There’s no telling how much more pain you’ve suffered from the things he’s made you do…”

Bill sighed and held him closer, “Love, please,” he kissed Dipper’s shoulder, “He can’t handle human pain to save _his_ life. He healed me before I could feel anything…” He trailed his lips to Dipper’s ear, “Please, let me take care of you. You’ve done so much for me already…”

Dipper whimpered a bit and closed his eyes at the very much-missed sensation of Bill’s touch. As he rested his head back against Bill’s shoulder, he finally allowed himself to relax in Bill’s arms for the first time in ten years. God, he missed this so much. It had been almost an eternity since he actually experienced some compassion and kindness from _anyone_ let alone his lover. He felt tears prick at his eyes and he leaned against the countertop and covered his face with his hands as quiet sobs escaped him. After everything they’d been through…this felt like a dream.

Bill gently tugged at Dipper’s wrists and turned the man around, “Shh…” he pulled him into a tight hug. “It’s alright…”

Dipper let all of his weight fall against Bill and the two slowly moved down to the floor. Bill pulled Dipper into his lap as he rested his back against the cabinets and gently ran his fingers through Dipper’s hair. His shirt was becoming damp with tears where Dipper had his face buried in the crook of his shoulder. Dipper was murmuring incoherently but every now and then, clearer phrases like ‘ten years’ and ‘missed you so much’ came through.

Bill rubbed his back soothingly and rested his head on Dipper’s shoulder, “You’re so strong, you know that?” He pressed a kiss to Dipper’s neck, “I never thought it was possible for me to love you more than I already did.” When Dipper’s breath hitched and he pulled at the man tighter, Bill flinched at brunette’s nails digging desperately into his skin, “Hey, shh, it’s alright, I’m here…I’m here.”

They stayed like that for most of the day. Dipper had eventually fallen asleep in Bill’s arms and the hunter was content to not move from that spot on the kitchen floor until he roused. When the sunlight filtered through the window for the first time in twenty years, Dipper squinted as the light fell right on his face, “Is…is that the sun?”

Bill shielded Dipper’s face from the light before covering his eyes as well, “I think so…” Bill helped Dipper up into a standing position and they both made their way out onto the porch.

The fog was gone and the sky was a clear, blue color. Not a cloud in sight. Dipper breathed a happy sigh, “It’s been so long since I’ve seen the weather like this…” He blindly reached for Bill’s hand and when he grabbed it, he pressed a kiss to Bill’s knuckles. Memories began flooding his mind, “Do…do you remember that little picnic we had out in the back all those years ago…?”

Bill smiled with a small chuckle, “We sound like old men.” He pulled Dipper close and turned them back inside, “But yes, I do remember that. You kept getting eaten by the mosquitos.”

Dipper rolled his eyes as they entered the shack, “I don’t know why you thought that was so funny.”

Bill leaned in and nuzzled Dipper’s cheek, “Because it _was_ funny.”

Dipper shoved him gently, “Here I am trying to remember the sentimental stuff…”

Bill took Dipper’s hands as they made their way down the hall, “I also remember the food we prepared being delicious. The wine was so-so. But my favorite part was when you refused to eat the last piece of that cake you got for your birthday and we ended up sharing it. Then I remember taking you inside,” he gently pressed Dipper against the wall, “And kissing you senseless.” He cupped Dipper’s face as he leaned in to press their lips together slowly.

Dipper sighed contently into that kiss and he didn’t even feel the tears rolling down his cheeks as he returned it fervidly. An eternity of being without Bill and battling hell in the forest for over twenty years had hardened his heart significantly to the point where he feared moments like this would be left to fantasy. But here he was. It might have been fleeting in comparison, but it was saving him from the despair.

When Bill pressed him further against the wall and began kissing down his neck, Dipper took the opportunity to re-explore the structure of Bill’s body. He slipped his hands underneath the man’s shirt, slowly tracing the slight curve at his waist and chest, memorizing the dips of his ribs, the planes between his shoulder blades. Dipper thought he was going to cry again.

Until Bill’s hands mimicked Dipper’s and the man unknowingly pressed a little too roughly on a large bruise on the brunette’s back that had not healed yet. Dipper winced and instinctually jerked away from Bill’s hand, irritated that his pains from the past were interrupting this moment.

Bill apologized with a gentle kiss to Dipper’s cheek, “No objections,” he spoke softly as he pulled them away from the wall, “I’m taking care of you.”

Dipper conceded and allowed Bill to guide him to the bathroom where he sat Dipper on the lid of the toilet and began running hot bath water into the basin. Dipper began unbuttoning his shirt when Bill quickly kneeled in front of him to take over. The brunette flinched and glanced at the floor with a small blush on his face.

Bill smiled up at him, “Don’t tell me that over a decade has made you shy?”

Dipper’s eyes were filled with sadness as he shook his head, “No…it’s just…Bill, I’m…” he forced himself to look Bill in the eyes, “It’s bad…the injuries…”

Bill frowned and closed his eyes, steeling himself, “Alright,” he continued unbuttoning Dipper’s shirt, flinching as he saw the purple and green edges of bruises splaying over Dipper’s skin. He looked back up at Dipper’s face, giving the brunette a reassuring smile as leaned forward and pressed soft kisses along the bruises and scrapes as he unveiled them.

Dipper bit his lip as he leaned forward and rested his face in Bill’s hair, “I love you so much,” as his shirt fell in the crooks of his elbows he ran his hands up Bill’s arms when the other man set to work on removing his pants.

Bill kissed Dipper’s stomach as he unfastened the buttons, “I love you.” He lightly tapped Dipper’s hips, “Stand up for me.”

Dipper shook the rest of his shirt off and placed both hands on Bill’s shoulders to steady himself as he lifted his hips to stand. He closed his eyes contently as Bill removed his pants one leg at a time and followed suit with his underwear. Though the hunter was mindful of it, Dipper still couldn’t hold back the small winces as the fabric brushed against the bruises and scrapes. Bill leaned forward to scatter light kisses to all he could find.

Bill stood up and led Dipper to the basin, assisting him in slowly. Once Dipper was settled, the other man grabbed a washcloth and began tending to the wounds on Dipper’s arms and chest. Dipper relaxed against the back of the tub and hung his arms off the side, content to allow Bill to work.

Soon, the once clear water was colored with dirt, dried blood, and pieces of grass. Bill had to drain the tub and run more water to get Dipper completely cleaned. The brunette watched with tired eyes as twenty years of fighting monsters, running through the woods, and countless near-death experiences washed down the drain. He closed his eyes and let out a relieved sigh that for now, it was over.

Bill cleared his throat in the middle of running his hands through Dipper’s wet hair, “I’m going to show you how to use the shotgun.”

Dipper cracked one eye open as the water washed over his head, “The shotgun?”

Bill nodded, “I hate to bring it up but when these six years are done, I’ll be damned if you’re going back into that forest with just a pistol and a knife.” He ran a fresh cloth over a particularly large gash on Dipper’s right side, “Seeing you like this…it just makes me angry…”

Dipper lifted his hand to run through Bill’s hair, “I’d do it all over again if it meant we could have more time together.”

Bill closed his eyes tightly as he leaned into Dipper’s touch, “It wasn’t supposed to be like this,” he sniffed as he held back the lump in his throat, “You were supposed to be safe…”

Dipper knew this was leading into dangerous territory and he didn’t want to risk the trouble with Cipher. So he leaned forward and brought Bill closer for a quick kiss, “There’s no point now,” he wrapped his arms around Bill, careful not to get the man’s shirt wet, “It doesn’t change anything.”

Bill nuzzled their noses together with a small grin, “You’re still learning how to use the shotgun.”

* * *

A few days later, the two were resting on a small blanket in the warm sun. There were two empty glasses of wine between them and two cleaned off plates.

Bill leaned back with a happy sigh, “It’s as if the last twenty years never happened.”

Dipper hummed happily, “I will never grow tired of this,” he lay back on the blanket and linked his arm with Bill’s, “It doesn’t even hurt anymore.”

Bill turned and looked down at the brunette with a grin, “Really?” he placed one hand one side of Dipper’s head as he hovered above him, “Does that mean I can finally nap on top of you?”

Dipper chuckled and pulled the man down so that he was lying on his chest, “You could have done it before, goofball.” He ran his fingers through Bill’s dark locks. They were still just as long as the last time he saw them.

Bill huffed, “I felt guilty. You try to hide those flinches but I can see it in your eyes.” He looked up at Dipper’s face, “You look good.”

“So do you,” Dipper poked Bill’s nose, “Better than ever.”

Bill grinned and rested his head back on Dipper’s chest, “It scares me how perfect everything feels.”

Dipper closed his eyes, “Just…try not to think about it.”

Bill lifted himself up and stared at Dipper’s face, “Do you ever think that it’s not real…? That it’s another one of his tricks?”

Dipper looked into Bill’s eyes and thought for a moment before nodding, “Sometimes…” he brushed some hair out of Bill’s eyes, “But then you do that thing where you think I can’t see you staring at me.” Dipper grinned, “Your eyes are so soft it’s like you’re lost in your own head. That’s how I know it’s real.”

Bill blushed a bit and shook his head, “I’m like an open book with you…”

Dipper pulled him down for a deep kiss, wrapping his arms around him tightly as he licked at Bill’s bottom lip. He looked at Bill with confusion as the man broke away, “Hey…”

Bill seemed to steel himself with an iron will, “Sorry…it’s just…” he looked around as if his reaction should have been obvious, “Love, we’re… _outside_ …anyone can see us.”

Dipper seriously doubted that but even if it were the case, he didn’t care anymore. He slipped his hands beneath Bill’s shirt in response, “And?” He hooked his ankle against Bill’s leg, “What about it?”

Bill lowered himself, “You really don’t mind…?” He ran his hands up Dipper’s sides, tracing the edge of Dipper’s shirt.

“Unless you do,” Dipper ran his hand up Bill’s stomach to his chest, “We haven’t been together in twenty years…”

That was all the motivation Bill needed. The man dove in for another kiss and didn’t hesitate to trail his hands up Dipper’s shirt, sighing contently at the feeling of the brunette’s warm skin. When he brought his hand back from underneath Dipper’s shirt, he moved quickly to unbutton it. Once that task was complete, he began trailing kisses alternating between soft and light down Dipper’s neck, collarbone, and chest.

Dipper shifted onto his elbows as Bill moved even lower. The brunette shakily moved to removed Bill’s shirt as the other man worked on unfastening Dipper’s pants. When the shirt going over his head obstructed Bill, he threw it off and tossed it aside. Dipper grinned as he ran his hands over Bill’s back. He was content to do this all day.

Until Bill moved his mouth _there_ and Dipper leaned back with sharp moan and his hand threaded through Bill’s hair as the other man wrapped one arm around Dipper’s hips to steady him.

Dipper felt like he could cry. This time from the sheer pleasure it brought him. They hadn’t been together like this for over twenty years…it still felt like a dream. One that Dipper would pay anything not to wake up from.

Bill paused in his attentions and kissed up Dipper’s chest once more, finding the brunette’s lips easily and hoisting him into his lap. With a bit of shimmying, Dipper was able to get his pants mostly off to where he could comfortably straddle Bill’s hips. He gripped at Bill’s shoulders as the man set to prepare him. Dipper sighed out a soft moan as he leaned against the other man.

When Bill brought his arms around Dipper’s waist and positioned himself, he kissed Dipper’s collarbone and whispered something in his native tongue. Dipper smiled, he knew that phrase well since Bill shared all he knew on his people’s extinct language with him. He kissed Bill’s forehead in response as he rolled his hips, meeting Bill’s thrusts eagerly.

Every now and then, Dipper would cast his eyes to the tree line and while he knew they were being watched by predatory eyes that were limited to their forest, it hindered Dipper none. If anything, it made him more confident and determined. Despite their circumstances, Bill was his and vice versa. Nothing would change that.

By the time they finished, the sun was setting and their clothes lay off to the side in a jumbled mess. Dipper was still in Bill’s lap albeit facing the other direction while the other man had one arm wrapped around Dipper’s waist and the other braced across his chest. Dipper had his head resting on Bill’s shoulder as he attempted to catch his breath.

Bill hummed contently and smoothed his hand down Dipper’s neck and lower. With a soft groan, Dipper moved off of Bill’s lap and rested his back against Bill’s chest. He chuckled, “How many more times can we do it to make up for twenty years?”

Bill laughed, “Not nearly enough.” He pulled Dipper closer, “Don’t tell me you’re still ready for more?”

Dipper smirked, “Why? Don’t think you can handle it?”

Bill scoffed, “I think we should move the party inside.” He moved his hand between Dipper’s legs, “There are some things I prefer behind closed doors.”

Dipper moaned softly at the touch and lifted his hips towards it, “We can still keep the curtains open, right?”

“Absolutely.”

* * *

 

Two years passed too quickly. Soon, Dipper found himself standing in the back of the shack with two shotguns and Bill at his side. Four months of constant practice and Dipper felt much better that he at least knew how to fire the powerful weapons without the kickback sending him flying like the first few times.

They were looking over their small armory in the shed when Bill clicked his tongue and grabbed the extra shotgun, looking it over and scrutinizing, “I don’t think you’ll be able to carry two of these through the woods comfortably.”

Dipper shrugged, “What do you propose I do? Set up camp so that Cipher can rearrange the woods and make me lose them?”

Bill shook his head, “No…I’ll just saw off the barrel on this one. That way you can carry it in your hand or put it in a holster. I’ll put the strap on the other so it can go around your back. God, the firepower is going to be incredible. I wouldn’t want to be on the wrong end of this.”

“Wait…what?”

Bill grinned, “It’ll take me a day to do it but this will be your best friend so long as you have enough ammo. We’ll fire some blanks tomorrow so you can get used to the kickback.”

Dipper shook his head in astonishment, “You are amazing.”

Bill grinned and walked over to kiss Dipper quickly, “As long as it keeps you safe.”

Dipper smiled softly as he watched Bill work. He felt heaviness in his chest at the thought of them only having four years left before Cipher would return. Dipper rested his chin on the back of the chair, “Hey…”

Bill paused and turned his head, “What is it?”

Looking at him now, Dipper wanted to memorialize this moment. The short moments where he was able to get lost in his writer mind, he took in every detail of Bill’s face, his clothes, the way his eyes looked, and the way his chest moved as he breathed. He had done this before countless times the last two years and it never ceased to make him appreciate his hunter.

Bill, realizing what Dipper was doing, stood up from his chair and walked away from the table, “Everything alright?” He kneeled beside the chair and put a hand on Dipper’s knee, “Hey…look at me…”

Dipper looked into Bill’s eyes, “I am.”

Bill tilted his head, “You’re doing it again.”

Dipper hid his mouth as he grinned, “Doing what?”

Bill chuckled, “You know.”

Dipper shrugged, “What’s wrong with it?”

Bill shook his head, “I don’t know…it just feels like you’re thinking about me being gone…and it makes me a little sad knowing that’s where your mind is…”

Dipper frowned, “Well when you put it that way…”

Bill kissed Dipper’s cheek, “I know it’s terrifying. I’m scared, too…but we’ll get through this…”

Dipper nodded and carded his fingers through Bill’s hair, “I don’t want to lose you.”

Bill grinned softly, his eyes portraying reassurance but with a layer of doubt. He leaned until their foreheads were touching, “I’m with you,” he cupped Dipper’s face in his hands and stroked Dipper’s cheek with his thumb, “I won’t leave you alone.”

Dipper leaned into the touch and couldn’t help the tears that welled up in his eyes. He took heavy stock in Bill’s words but he knew the truth.

In three years, he would be alone again and Cipher would take Bill away from him. While he understood Bill’s aversion to him committing every moment to memory, Dipper wouldn’t stop until the moment he fell asleep on that last day.

* * *

 

The third year came to a close sooner than expected. Bill had prepped Dipper to the brim with weapons and utilities. Dipper wore the garments and carried the weapons every day in an effort to get used to the weight. He ran around the property for at least thirty minutes so that if he needed to run, his stamina wouldn’t tire out so quickly.

Needless to say, Dipper was more than ready for some kind of battle and while the both of them would have loved to spend their time together lying in bed all day, they knew they should spend the time more wisely.

But Dipper was starting to notice something different about the old shack. For one thing, he kept seeing strange shadows move about the cabin at various times of day. Particularly in the windows. He never got a good look at the specter, but from what he could tell, it was a man about his age with glasses. What was most unusual was that Dipper dreamed of this man on numerous occasions and the visions included this man having multiple conversations with Cipher about him building some futuristic portal.

Dipper waved it off at first but when these dreams increased as time went by, he felt it was an omen of things to come. Dipper understood very little of these visions but for some reason, this gave him hope. That maybe they wouldn’t be in this vicious cycle for very much longer.

When he shared his thoughts on this strange anomaly with Bill, his partner laughed it off and teased, “You’re dreaming about other men? What, am I not good enough for you anymore?”

Dipper laughed and tossed a pillow at Bill, “Jerk…”

As Bill walked over to him Dipper shoved him playfully with his foot only for Bill to catch it. One thing lead to another and eventually they would be recouping from a few rounds of some pretty amazing sex that _definitely_ got Dipper’s mind off of things.

Dipper never complained.

More time passed and by the end of the fifth year, it was finally starting to sink in to Bill that their time was running out. He became withdrawn much to Dipper’s dismay and when the brunette tried to comfort him, Bill would turn him away.

Dipper resented it and he tried desperately to get Bill to come around. “You said you were with me…” he sat behind Bill in the living room and rested his head on his shoulder, “You said you wouldn’t leave me alone…”

Bill’s shoulders shook as he leaned forward and covered his face with his hands, “I’m sorry…I just…I don’t think I can bear it…”

Dipper wrapped his arms around Bill, “Please stay with me.”

Bill grabbed at Dipper’s hand, caressing the smooth skin that was no longer marred from twenty years of fighting, “Why _can’t_ we just forget holding up the deals? What’s the point of it if he’s never going to let this up?”

Dipper sighed, “Bill…” He didn’t want to have this conversation again. It only led to arguing and Dipper hated the fact that they spent one night of their six years together sleeping in separate rooms after that episode. Cipher was getting to him and Dipper wouldn’t stand for it. “Come on…lets-“

“No!” Bill turned and grabbed Dipper’s shoulders, “Please don’t ask me to do this. Don’t ask me to watch you suffer for another ten or twenty years while he plays this sick game.” Bill took a stuttering breath as he shifted his hands to cup Dipper’s face, “Do you know hard it was watching you go through all of that…and knowing I couldn’t do a thing?”

Dipper’s eyes watered and he grabbed Bill’s wrists, “I watched you die countless times, Bill. Did you think I wanted to? Did you think it wasn’t just as hard on me?”

Bill opened his hands, “So let’s call out…it’s not fair to either of us.”

Dipper shook his head, “No. We’re just going to have to be strong for each other. You can do it. Please don’t give up on me.”

Bill stared at Dipper for a long moment before he collapsed into tears. Dipper only pulled him close and rested his head on Bill’s back, “I’m not going to let you go…” He wouldn’t let Cipher toy with Bill’s head while they were still enjoying their peace. Bill was still his.

But Dipper could feel a change approaching. There was _something_ different in the air. With the shadows of the six-fingered specter roaming through the corners of the shack and Dipper’s visions of Cipher making deals for more power, it felt like the cycle was weakening. That Cipher was focusing his power elsewhere. Dipper could see the light at the end of the tunnel.

Even if it was the size of a dust particle.

Dipper and Bill were sitting together on the porch on their last day. Dipper had Bill’s hand pressed against his lips as they looked out over the tree line of the forest. The fog was returning slowly and the past six years soon felt like a dream. When the fog finally settled, Dipper released Bill’s hand and stood up from his chair to head back inside. Bill followed soon after.

That evening, they lay in the bed together, fingers laced above Dipper’s head as Bill trailed kisses along his collarbone. A sheen of sweat cooled on their skin as they held each other close. Bill was the first to speak, “Do you think it will be enough?”

Dipper leaned his head towards Bill, “What do you mean?”

“Your battle armor,” he chuckled, “I like to think you’re pretty well prepped.”

Dipper smiled, “You did well,” he kissed Bill’s nose, “It’ll keep me safe enough.”

“At least I know I could do that much for you,” Bill stroked Dipper’s cheek with a shaky hand, “How are you so calm?”

Dipper shook his head, “I don’t know…I just…I have a feeling it won’t last much longer…that we’ll be free soon…”

“What makes you say that?”

“It’s just a feeling…” Dipper turned on his side and cuddled closer, “I don’t think I’ll be able to sleep.”

Bill frowned, “I don’t want you to be awake when he takes over…”

Dipper huffed out a humorless chuckle, “There’s nothing you can do about that…”

Bill’s eyes were pained as he shut them tightly.

“Shh,” Dipper pulled Bill’s face close to his, “Look at me. Don’t forget what I said, please. Don’t give up on me…”

Bill nodded and kissed Dipper slowly in response…and it was enough. As much as Dipper hated it when Bill finally fell asleep, he was happy to memorize this moment as he had planned. He traced his fingers gently over his skin and the dips of muscles.

Then Bill turned over and faced away from him and Dipper knew. This was it. He felt that dread return to his chest as Bill slowly rose from the bed and swung his legs off to the side a little too energetically. Dipper’s eyes narrowed as those familiar golden eyes peered over Bill’s shoulder with that sinister smirk gracing the hunter’s face…Cipher’s smirk.

Dipper held the gaze affirmatively. He wouldn’t let Cipher win.

Then, Bill quickly got dressed and walked out of the room leaving Dipper to the loneliness of their bedroom. Dipper ran his hands over the empty spot beside him and grabbed Bill’s pillow, holding it tight against his face as he cried out his frustration and sadness.

When morning came, Dipper felt like the six years had not happened as he walked into the kitchen. The supplies Bill had prepared for him were ready and waiting to be used. Dipper looked out the window on the porch and saw Bill…no, saw _Cipher_ sitting there, waiting.

Dipper would take his time. He dressed slowly even though he knew the ins and outs of his attire. The utility belt went on first. Lining it was various tools and along with the holstered sawed off shotgun Bill had prepared. Next came the supply bag with all of his ammo for the shotguns and the pistol. Then the gloves. After that, he slipped into the boots which contained special slips for his small emergency blades. Then there was Bill’s old hunter’s coat. Dipper flung that on last.

It still smelled like him. Dipper was thankful for that small blessing.

As he slung the shotgun over his shoulder, he was ready to head out the door when he saw that shadow of the six-fingered specter pass through his vision again. He didn’t know much about premonitions…but he felt this specter would be the key to stopping Cipher and releasing him and Bill from this hell…but for now, Dipper would tend to his deal.

As he walked out onto the porch, Cipher chuckled at Dipper’s appearance, “Oh my sun and stars, look at you, Pine Tree!” he bit on his knuckle with a wide smirk, “And here I thought I was going to go easy on you two this time around.”

Dipper only glared.

Cipher stood up and walked towards him, “Shall we get the show on the road, then?”

Dipper looked at Cipher’s eyes carefully. There was something different about them. They seemed less powerful now…was he losing his touch? Dipper thought back to the specter and the strange visions he had throughout his six years with Bill. Dipper could sense it, Cipher’s hold wasn’t as powerful now…maybe this was the last stretch to the finish.

Dipper’s head spun as he suddenly had a vision of the six-fingered man uttering some kind of incantation. Then it flashed to Cipher…being stripped of his power and torn out of their dimension. Then the six-fingered man was facing him, muttering something incoherently.

Cipher snapped his fingers angrily in Dipper’s face, “Pine Tree!”

Dipper shook his head and regarded Cipher once more, “What…oh, uh…”

Cipher mimicked Dipper’s stutter and smacked his cheek, “What’s gotten into you, huh? Maybe six years was a little _too_ long…” Cipher began walking down the porch steps.

Dipper followed, his steps confident and strong, “It was perfect…until you came in.”

Cipher snickered and placed a hand on his chest, “Oh don’t go breaking my non-existent heart, Pine Tree,” he turned to face Dipper and held out his arms, “You’re obviously ready to go.”

Dipper nodded and set his gaze on the tree line.

Cipher disappeared along with Bill’s body. The familiar chuckles echoed through the forest.

Dipper looked back at the shack and his eyes widened when he saw how different it looked. It was bigger…nothing like the shack he and Bill shared just moments ago.

In the distance he could see a man standing on the porch watching him with interest. Was this the man from his visions? It certainly looked like him. Dipper felt a familiar pull at the sight, something hopeful in his plight.

Dipper didn’t have all the answers. But he felt a change in the air as he watched this strange man re-enter the shack. He didn’t know why or how, but he _knew_ this man would be the one to stop Cipher. And when that happened…he and Bill would finally be _free_. Free to what ends? Dipper didn’t know. Whatever it was, the afterlife, staying in this bubble of timeless serenity, Dipper didn’t care. As long as he had Bill.

The sounds from within the forest became more insistent and Dipper turned back to face the tree line with determination as he took the first step to start his last journey into Cipher’s hunt.

* * *

 

_Fall 1982_

It was all ruined now. Ford felt like he could cry as he drifted into the realm between his dimension and the great unknown. Seeing his brother’s face before the portal consumed him left him feeling more betrayed than he ever had in his life. Why did he come out to this town again? How the hell could he allow himself to be tricked so badly?

He felt like he was floating forever. His mind went over the past few weeks like a movie. Cipher had betrayed him, he drove his friend insane, and his brother would never see him again.

Ford realized the only silver lining in all of this was that before all was said and done, he was able to dig up a spell that would banish Cipher from Gravity Falls…unless someone summoned him of course.

Cipher wasn’t pleased with this but really, there was nothing that could be done. With Cipher out of his dimension, their deal was null and void since Cipher could no longer hold up his end. Ford found little hope that it would keep Cipher away forever.

After all, he was a powerful demon.

_Thank you._

Ford looked around when he heard the soft, tired voice filter through the air. “Huh? Who is that?”

_You’ve set me free._

Ford turned around in a circle, “Where are you? Show yourself!” When Ford made one more turn, he gasped in shock at the sight of the young, brunette he had been seeing in the woods and in the shack, “You…you’re the ghost that kept haunting me for the last six years! Who are you?!”

The young man glanced in either direction confusedly, “My name is Dipper…”

Ford’s eyes widened as he realized, “Dipper…Dipper Pines?!” The young man nodded. Ford put his hands on his head in shock, “Oh…oh my gosh it all makes sense…it’s you who’s been haunting the property this whole time!” Ford covered his mouth when he saw a sad look reflected in the young man’s eyes, “I-I’m sorry…I…”

Dipper shook his head, “It’s alright. I’m free now. _We’re_ free…and I wanted to thank you for helping…even if you didn’t realize it.”

Ford felt more confused, “I freed you…? But how? Oh no….I didn’t kill you did I?!”

Dipper smiled sadly, “I died a long time ago trying to find someone I loved…But if it wasn’t for you forcing Cipher into breaking the deal, I’d still be searching. Now I'm free to go.”

“S-So…wait, am I dead?!”

Dipper chuckled, “No, I’m afraid not. You still have a lot to do. Cipher will return but he can be stopped…as long as you’re back within thirty years.”

Ford shook his head, “Wait…I don’t understand!”

“You will in time. Thank you, Stanford.” Dipper gave a short wave as he turned around.

Ford waved desperately, “Please…please tell me what I have to do…where are you going?”

Dipper turned and smiled softly, “I’m going home.”

There was a shift in the void and Ford looked around for any sign that he might be landing somewhere soon…but when he looked back where Dipper was standing, the young man was gone.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I really don't know what you were expecting...alright, well. That's that, then.
> 
> Comments are greatly appreciated! Let me what you think!

**Author's Note:**

> I hope you enjoyed the read! Comments are greatly appreciated so let me know what you think!


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